Rotary coin board



March 23 1926.

G. H. MERWIN ROTARY com BOARD Filed Augus t 2. 1924- Gm M1 01 5;

Patented Mar. 25, 1926.

UNITED STATES GEORGE H. MERWIN, OF MILFORD, CONNECTICUT.

ROTARY com BOARD.

Application filed. August 2, 1924. Serial No. 729,804.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GnoRcn'H. Munwm, a citizen of the United States, residing at l\[ilford county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Rotary Coin Board, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to coin boards for the use of cashiers in the booths of stores,

concessions, and the line, to prevent misappropriation of funds collected. Concessionaires at beaches, sumn'ler resorts, and the like, have found it especially difficult to secure honest help to operate their concessions, this help being mostly transient and usually care to stay only for a short time in a position, and got all they an out of it while they are there. Where they are trusted with a sum of money to make change and the change collected is placed in this fund, it is a simple matter to misappropriate a large share of the funds collected as the c0ncessionaire in a great many cases has no means of checking up on these collections.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive device to prevent these misappropriations of funds and to insure the concessionaire or pro-' prietor receives the funds collected by his employee. In the drawings I have shown adevice constructed according to my invention adapted especially for use by conceserence clia-racters being employed throughout the various figures to indicate corresponding elements. In this drawing,

Fig; 1 is a rear elevation of a table or booth front showing my improved coinboard applied thereto, a portion of the table and one of the boards being broken away tomore clearly show the construction.

from the right of Fig. 1. v v

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the construction showing a portion of two connected boards and the means for operating them on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 43 is a transverse section substantially on line 44 of Fig. 3, and

Fig; 5 is a transverse section substantially on line 55 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing the table or counter is shown' comprising a rectangular frame of angle iron 10 and 11 mounted on suitable I supporting legs 12,. also of angle iron, and along the front and rear of the top are strips or boards 13 providing a substantially rectangular opening 14 in which my improved coin board 15 ism-ounted. This coin board is 1 shown as being triangular in cross section,

that is, it hasthree plain sides 16 also substantially rectangular to close the opening 14 in the top of the counter, and the board is preferably so mounted that the surfaces of these sides when in the opening are substantially flush with or slightly below thetop surface of the counter to give a neat and attractive appearance. Although the drawing shows the board as triangular, having three sides, itobviously may be made of any number of sides desired so long as it has a plurality of these sides arranged to be brought successively into the opening by a step by step rotary movement of the board. In the present case a number of triangular panels 17 and 18 are provided spaced from 8 each other a suitable distance throughout the length of the board to which the side members 16 are attached by any suitable means, such as screws 19'. To the end panels are mounted brackets 20 having trunnions to rotate in suitable bearingblocks21.mounted on suitable cross bars 22 forming a support therefor, and the board is rotated in these bearings to discl'iar'ge the coins placed on the board through the opening 14: and

bring the sides successively into this open ing.

A simple and effective means for giving the required step by step anovement and holding the'board in proper position 1s shown in Figs. 3 and 4. On the shaft 23 joining the brackets 20 is keyed a ratchet 2 lwhi'ch-in the present instance has a plurality of notches 25 in its periphery equal in number to the number of sides: in the board.

, A second disc 26' issecured to the shaft, as Fig.2 is an end elevation thereof looking of a bracket 30, andthiscatch has slug 31 adapted to extend into the notches 28 and I lock the board in proper position to main tain the sides 16 in the opening 14 and sub stantially flush with the top of the counter. A block 32 is loosely mounted on the shaft and carries a pawl 33 which is pivoted thereto at 34:, and a spring 35 tends to hold the pawl on. its pivot to press its free end against the periphery of the ratchet 2e, and when in proper position to move this end of the pawl into the notches 25. A hand lever 36 is connected to the block 32 for operating it, and it projects irearwardly from the counter as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 for easy manipulation by the operator. The catch lever 29 carries a laterally extending pin 87 adapted to be engaged by the upper edge of the block 32 .so that this block may release the catch. The notches 25 and the ratchet 2a are located substantially as shown in Fig. 4, so that when the lug 31 is in one of the notches 28 the free end of the pawl 83 rests on the periphery of the ratchet slightly below the notch, as shown in full lines.

When it is desired to rotate the board to discharge the coin or coins placed thereon and to bring another side into the opening l i, the operator lifts the free end of the lever 36 a short distance, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 4. Under this movement the upper edge of the block 32 engages the pin 37 and lifts the lug 31 of the catch out of the notch 28 which unlocks the board. At the same time the free end of the pawl 33 engages in the notch 25 and then a quick downward movement of the free end of the lever will rotate the board to allow any coins which may be thereon to drop through the opening 14, and to bring a new face or side of the board into this openin hen this new face or side has reached the proper position the lug 31 of the catch will drop into another notch 28 and lock the board in this new position. I

Below the board are inclined side walls 38 and inclined end walls 39 to form a chute to conduct coins dropped from the board into a' suitable receptacle 40, such as a drawer which may be removed through the rear wall 41 of the counter. This receptaele may be locked by any suitable means, such as a key or combination lock to prevent access thereto except'by an authorized party.

In operation the cashier is given a certain amount for change. The customer if he has not the proper change secures it from the cashier and places the proper change he is to give the cashier on the top of the board. The cashier then rotates the board as described above by manipulating the lever 36 and the coins are discharged automatically into the locked receptacle 40, the cashier being allowed to handle the cash only in the operation of making change. At the end of the day the proprietor or other authorized person may unlock the receptacle and remove the entire receipts for the day, and he has a definite means of checking up on the cashier because he knows what amount was given to the cashier at the beginning of the day for the purpose of making change.

The drawing shows a multiple board, that is, there are really three boards operated by the same mechanisnrto accommodate a rela tively longcounter, and furthermore, the boards may be made of ')ractically any length desired. It will of course be obvious the same construction and arrangement may be employed for single or short boards as is found desirable.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention what I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a substantially flat topped table or counter having an opening in the top thereof, a coin board rotatably mounted in said o} ening and polygonal in cross section to provide a plurality of faces each adapted to lie in said opening to close the same and arranged for deposit of coins thereon, manual means accessibla from the rear of the table or counter to rotate said board to bring the faces successively into said opening and discharge coins on the upper face through the opeir ing, and means to stop movement of the board when the faces reach the opening and retain them therein.

2. In a device of the character described, a substantially flat topped table or counter having a substantially rectangular opening in the top thereof, a coin board in said opening and mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, said coin board being polygonal in cross section with rectangular faces adapted tov close said opening and arranged for deposit of coins thereon, and manual means accessible from the rear of the table or counter for rotating said board with a step by step movement to bring the faces successively into said opening and discharge coins on the upper face through the opening.

3. In a device of the character described,

a substantially flat topped table or counter having an opening in the top thereof, a coin board rotatably mounted in said opening to substantially close the same and having a plurality of faces adapted to lie in said opening to close the same, manual means having a substantially rectangular opening in the top thereof, a coin board in said opening and mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, said coin board being polygonal in cross section with rectangular faces adapted to close said opening, manual means accessible from the rear of the table or counter for rotating said board with a step by step movement to bring its faces successively into said opening, a lock controlled receptacle beneath said board, and a chute leading from said opening to the said receptacle;

5. In a device of the character described, a table or counter having an opening in the top thereof, a coin board rotatably mounted in said openingto substantially close the same and having a plurality of faces adapted to lie in said opening, a lever, means operated by ll'lOVGll'lGl'lt of the lever in one direction for imparting a step by step rotative mover out to the board to bring its faces successively into said opening, means for securing the board with the faces in this position, and means operated by movement of the lever in the opposite direction for releasingsaid securing means.

6. In a device of the character described, a table or counter having a sul'istantially rectangular opening in the top thereof, a coin board in said opening and mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, said. coin board being polygonal in cross section with rectangular faces adapted to close said opening, a lever, means operated by movement of the lever in one direction for imparting a step by step rotative movement to the board to bring its faces successively into said opening, means for securing the board with the faces in this position, and means operated by movement of the lever in the opposite direction for releasing said securing means.

7. I11 a device of the character described, a table or counter having an opening in the top thereof, coin board rotatably mounted in said opening to substantially close the same and having a plurality of faces adapted to lie in said opening, a ratchet connected to said board, a pivoted lever, a pawl operated by movement of the lever in one direction to engage the ratchet and rotate the board with a step by step movement, a member secured to said board provided with a plurality of notches, a catch arranged to engage said notches to hold the board with its faces in the opening, and means oper ated by movement of the lever in the opposite direction to release said catch.

8. In a device of the character described,

a table or counter having a substantially rectangular opening in the top thereof, a coin board in said opening and mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, said coin board being polygonal in cross section with rectangular faces adapted to close said opening, a ratchetconnected to said board, a pivoted lever, a pawl operated by movement of the lever in one direction to engage the ratchet and rotate the board with a step by step movement to bring its faces successively into said opening, a second ratchet secured to the board and having notches cor responding in number to the faces of the board, a catch pivoted to the table and provided with a lug to seat in said notches and hold the board with one of its faces in said opening, and cooperating means connected to the catch and lever for releasing the catch by movement of the lever in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

GEORGE I-I. MERVVIN. 

